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More than half (58 per cent) don’t know a fat-free strawberry yoghurt has more sugar than a bowl of cornflakes or black coffee with two sugars.

Altogether 77 per cent got fewer than half the questions right, putting them low on the food IQ scale. One in ten could only answer four questions correctly.

Tricky questions: Less than 25 per cent of people managed to get half of these questions right - test yourself

But the survey, commissioned by the
Department of Health’s Change4Life initiative, found 84 per cent of
people want to be healthier.

The cost of food and the time needed to prepare fresh ingredients deterred many from having a healthier lifestyle.

TV chef Ainsley Harriott, the Change4Life campaign ambassador, said: ‘It’s really important to be aware of what hidden nasties may be in your food.

‘There are simple changes you can make which will help: try to prepare food at home, cut down on saturated fat, swap high sugar options for lower ones, watch out for hidden salt in foods and check the label.’

Check the sugar: Many foods that are low in fat are instead full of hidden sugar

The average daily salt intake in the UK is 8.6g, but official figures often don’t include salt added at the table or in the takeaway. The Food Standards Agency recommends a 6g limit for adults and much less for youngsters.

Research suggests people who cut back salt by about 3g a day – the equivalent of six slices of bread – can reduce their chances of developing cardiovascular disease by a quarter.

The recommended daily limit for saturated fat is 30g for men and 20g for women. For sugars it is 90g. The quiz is available at www.facebook.com/change4life